Zayn's POV
The mansion was quiet, the way i preferred it. No ringing phones, no tapping heels, no rookie assistants spilling lukewarm coffee on expensive rugs. Just stillness, and the soft hum of my thoughts.
Until the doorbell rang.
I didn't have to guess. Only one person rang like that — like he owned the place.
"Still hiding out in this museum?" said alex, stepping into the grand foyer like he belonged. my best friend since university, now the deputy CEO of apexmind, alex was the only one who dared to treat me like a human, not a myth.
"I call it peace," i replied, motioning him toward the whiskey bar.
we settled into the leather armchairs near the glass wall overlooking the hills. alex poured himself a drink.
"You look like you haven't slept," alex said after a beat, eyeing me.
"I've been sleeping just fine," i lied.
Alex raised a brow. "Mm. Right. Nothing to do with you working your new assistant to the bone?"
my jaw tensed.
Alex smirked. "I heard lara had her in tears last week."
i didn't answer. I didn't owe explanations. Not even to Alex. But somehow, the words itched to escape.
"She's... soft. This place hardens people. It's not my job to protect her."
"Spoken like a man who's been staring out the window too long," Alex muttered, sipping his drink.
i said nothing.
But my mind wasn't quiet.
Because last night — while i sat on the upper balcony, scrolling through projections — my eyes had caught something down the street. A flash of soft laughter. A woman in a long beige coat, twirling a coffee cup in her hand. And beside her, a man. Tall. Easy smile. Confident shoulders.
Levi.
I recognized him. Levi Monroe. CEO of a smaller but rising tech-and-training firm. Clean reputation. Well-liked. Too well-liked.
And Jane... she was smiling like the world didn't weigh anything.
i had stared too long. Too hard. A knot twisted in my chest before i shoved the curtain closed.
It was ridiculous. She could laugh if she wanted. Smile. Live. Who she spent time with wasn't his concern.
Still.
The image lingered. The curve of her smile. The way Levi leaned close. The way she didn't pull back.
"Something on your mind?" alex asked, voice cutting through.
i shook it off, picking up my glass.
"Not at all."
But the lie tasted bitter.
"So the Valencia proposal," Alex said, swirling his drink. "I reviewed the blueprint. Solid numbers, but they're not aggressive enough. You want to dominate, not just participate."
I nodded slowly, eyes half on the document projected on the screen, half lost in thought. "We'll rewrite it. Add pressure points. Push their timeline. I don't like waiting on people."
Alex raised a brow. "You never did."
Silence stretched between us. The hum of the city beyond the windows filled the space. my fingers drummed lightly on the table.
"I saw her," i said, almost casually.
Alex glanced at him. "Her?"
"The new secretary. Jane." i said her name like it left a strange taste in his mouth. "Last night. Out. With a man."
That caught Alex's full attention. "Levi? The guy that owns Monroetech
my jaw tensed. "Apparently."
There was a beat. Then Alex smirked, leaned forward, and topped off both their glasses. "And? What—did it bother you?"
my gaze hardened. "Of course not. She's free to do what she wants."
"But it did get under your skin."
i said nothing, the muscle in my cheek twitching.
"She's… different," Alex offered, voice quieter now. "Not like the others you've gone through in the past. She doesn't seem scared of you."
"She's scared," Zayn said flatly. "She just hides it better."
Alex chuckled. "Still. You keep mentioning her."
"I don't mention her."
"You just did."
i shot him a warning look, but Alex only laughed again, rising to pour himself more whiskey. "I'm just saying, if you're going to pretend you don't care, at least do it more convincingly."
i leaned back, my voice dry. "Get out of my house."
"Gladly," Alex grinned, snatching his jacket from the couch. "But one day, you'll have to stop letting the past drive every decision. Even if it means letting someone in again."
i didn't answer. The door closed behind Alex with a soft click, and the silence returned. But this time, it felt louder.
i stood, walked over to the window, and looked out into the darkening skyline. my reflection stared back — cold eyes, clenched jaw. Unshaken. Unreachable.
Still… her laugh from the night before, light and unfiltered, echoed in my mind.
I poured another drink.
And ignored it.